Survey assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey assignment - Essay Example Whether we like it or not, they are still our Congress and they are our representatives in the government The result of the survey made me think that we are not putting much importance to our civic privileges. I think we became so immersed with other concerns that we overlooked how lucky we are. In the Middle East of which we barely cared about, people there, particularly in Syria that we do not know right now, has to fight a bloody war risking their lives and the people they cared about just to have a fraction of the civic privileges that we are enjoying now. What is particularly bothersome is our seeming total lack of awareness of our judicial system as suggested by the respondent ignorance of our supreme magistrate. We do not seem to appreciate our right to have a fair trial and due process which many countries have still to fight for. The low score in geographic literacy in the survey is quite understandable because we already have a lot of problems to mind here in the US to bother about other countries. Apparently, most of us only know about Iraq and Iran and little about the rest of Middle East. It is an eye opener that almost all respondents do not know where Israel (1 out of 10) is when it is a major flashpoint of conflict in the Middle East not to mention that US played a significant role in Israel. I have to mention also that the survey questions about geography are very basic and that we have to mind Middle East because a significant aspect of our foreign policy and military budget allocation is directed there. What I am trying to say is, whatever happens there affects us so we have to care. In the final reflection on the result of the survey, I understood why it is necessary for us to study American Government class. It is not only to inform us about the names, numbers and dates of aspects of governance, but also to understand how our political system works that we may become better Americans in

Reading Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Assessment - Assignment Example The current immigrants are different from the earlier immigrants in the sense that they form the source of terrorists and other ill intention arrivals with an objective of destroying the United States. John Amagoalik quote emphasizes relevance of Nunavut to original inhabitants of Australia and Greenland, Canada. Amagoalik argues that preserving Nunavut would assist Inuit and Aboriginals in protecting the erosion of their culture and history. Therefore, Nunavut existence remains symbolic of Aboriginals and Inuit historical reality. Gurston Dacks quote contradicts ideas advanced by Amagoalik. He argues that Nunavut have no particular value. Dacks, further states that Nunavut existence would only revoke postwar ideals rather than infer benefits to Austrian or Canadian community (Smith, 1971). Clash of civilization theory proposes that post-Cold War would result from peoples’ religious and cultural identities. Media arguments and research findings support clash of civilizations theory. Media reports on continued disagreements between Islam community and the Western countries relates to the theory. Contemporary media news reports that Islamic communities have decided to form militant movements that reject Western values and way of living. Unfolding religious and cultural events prompts for analysis to support clash of civilizations theory. Cultural and religious differences between Islam and Christian community require insightful analysis and professional views to ascertain clash of civilizations

Gender and Communication Essay Example for Free

Gender and Communication Essay When we think of gender, we often think of male or female; thats only half of understanding gender. The denotations of male and female actually refer to biological and physiological sex. Gender is a sociological construct of values, ideals, and behaviors about what it means to be either male or female, and are often regarded in terms of masculine or feminine, respectively. Many people use sex and gender interchangeably, but one does not have to be male to identify as masculine, and vice versa. we have both a biological, physical characteristic;sex with a superimposed cultural construct gender. The same applies to both race and culture, respectively. Race refers to groups of people who are distinguished by shared physical characteristics, such as skin color and hair type. Culture refers to the customs, habits, and value systems of groups of people. People of the same race may not share the same culture; similarly, a culture isnt necessarily comprised of people of the same race. Women and men communicate most effectively when they understand the â€Å"invisible rules† unique to each gender. Research presented by Dr. Pat Heim in her video, â€Å"The Invisible Rules: Men, Women and Teams,† indicates that each gender is a â€Å"culture† in itself, raised with invisible rules of conduct instinctively known to all adult members of that gender. Therefore, men and women behave according to two separate sets of rules about what â€Å"right† is. I. Consequently, behavior that seems natural and appropriate to one gender culture can seem baffling, hurtful or wrong to others. When we work with someone of the opposite gender and he or she does something that seems a bit strange, we often become intolerant and defensive. We do not realize that men and women come from different cultures, even if they are raised in the same homes, educated in the same schools and live in the same country. II. The two gender cultures are different in many ways. Understanding the invisible rules unique to each gender can help us become better team members and leaders. It is important to remember that these are generalizations on gender behavior based on the 80% portion of the bell curve. There are always exceptions to the rule. Examples given are based on what research tells us. A. In every culture of the world, children are taught to be appropriate adults through the games they play. When boys are growing up, they play baseball, basketball, football, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians and war, all of which are hierarchical team sports. They learn how to compete, be aggressive, play to win, strategize, take risks and mask emotions. Playing their assigned role in the hierarchy, boys learn to obey their coach unquestioningly, become leaders and play with people they do not like. In essence, boys learn how to garner power, manage conflict and win or lose without becoming emotionally involved with their â€Å"competitors. † B. More than likely, the girls we grew up with were not playing team sports. Girls play with people they like (usually one-on-one) and learn their cultural lessons from â€Å"doll games† in which there are no winners or losers. Girl play reinforces â€Å"getting along and being nice,† protecting friendships by negotiating differences, seeking win-win situations and focusing on what is fair for all instead of winners and losers. C. girls (unlike boys) have â€Å"flat† versus hierarchical relationships. A very important rule in women’s culture is that the power in interpersonal relationships is always kept â€Å"dead even. † There is never a â€Å"boss doll player. † Girls who try to be the boss quickly learn that this damages friendships. Consequently, when adult women enter a hierarchical workplace, they often attempt to equalize power, negotiate relationships and share power equally. III. Does this mean that since the Coast Guard is a hierarchical organization, women cannot succeed? Of course not. Does it mean that the hierarchical leadership style is always the appropriate choice? Again, absolutely not. The command and control leadership style associated with a hierarchy works most effectively in time-bound situations, when there is no alternative or in emergencies. For example, on scene at an urgent search-and-rescue case, the command and control style works best. Time is limited, one person needs to be in control of the situation and everyone needs to fulfill their specific roles. A. However, take the same SAR case and look at what is going on in the Operations Center. There, the supervisor needs the expertise and ideas of everyone on watch to make the best decision. Each person might provide additional ideas as to how the case could best be handled. In a flat structure then, the leadership style is based on involvement. B. This style works most effectively when you need creativity and psychological buy in and you need them to make it work. Clearly, the Coast Guard has many different situations that require different leadership styles. Using the same style in every situation is a quick recipe for ineffectiveness. By understanding the different styles, we can more successfully choose the appropriate one for the situation. IV. Sometimes the tendency for women to associate with one style and men to associate with the other leads to misunderstandings. For example, on a large cutter, a male chief was supervising a female second class petty officer. He directed her to perform a certain task. After listening to the tasking, the petty officer recommended an alternate method that she had learned at another unit and proved to be very successful. A. The chief assumed that she was being insubordinate. In his view, being a team player meant knowing your role in the hierarchy and playing your role without question. The chiefs anger and unwillingness to listen to her ideas made the petty officer feel unwelcome on the team. For her, being a team player meant helping the group by recommending ideas that might benefit the team. B. The two different structures (hierarchical versus flat) have different definitions of what makes a good team player. Both members were working within the invisible rules that had been programmed into them from an early age. Neither felt good about the interaction, and their trust in each other was seriously damaged. Had either of them been aware of the differing styles, this unpleasant situation could have been avoided. conclusion As you can see, the unique socializing experiences of men and women as they grow up create separate rules and realities for each gender. It is not a matter of who is â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong. † One challenge that women face today is that most organizations are run by the rules of team sports. This fact does not absolve women from learning the hierarchical, goal-focused rules of most men, nor does it absolve men from the need to learn about the strengths of the flat, process-oriented focus most women bring to the workplace. The Coast Guard needs both styles to be successful. It is important to promote the best possible communication between men and women in the workplace. As we move between the male and female cultures, we sometimes have to change how we behave; speak the language of the other gender to gain the best results from the situation. Clearly, successful organizations of the future are going to have leaders and team members who understand, respect and apply the rules of gender culture appropriately.

Effect of Discounting on Climate Change

Effect of Discounting on Climate Change Introduction Climate change can be termed as the single largest problem that we as a humanity are facing at present. Since the 1960’s- when for the first time the perils of greenhouse gas emissions on climate were reported- the gravity associated with demand for action on climate change has only been increasing.Though the impacts of climate change are already being felt in terms of increased frequency of disasters and changing weather patterns, a majority of the impacts are to affect future generations only. This raises many questions on whether to act on climate change now or later. The role ethics has to play in tackling such an issue is immense. Individual perceptions, their choices and what defines morality for them all come in to light while determining action on climate change. Since the formation of UNFCCC, under which international negotiations on climate change are being held, the weightage on acting against climate change has been catapulted to a global level. The framework has seen many international agreements on cutting down the global emissions of greenhouse gases and building resilience among communities to tackle climate change. But the costs involved in acting against climate change and arresting the global temperature change to such a level so that it doesn’t prove catastrophic to the future generation is huge. Nicholas Stern, an economist, had published a report- The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change- in 2006 for the British Government which had given an estimate of one percent of global GDP that is required to arrest the impacts of climate change. This estimate was revised in 2008 to two percent of the global GDP accounting for faster than expected climate change. To put things in perspective two percent of global GDP acco unts for close to US$1.5 trillion when the World Bank estimate of the total global gross domestic product of US$74.9 trillion is taken into consideration. Such values aren’t small and require enormous funding from countries world over to act against the impacts. Hence action on climate change, though ethical, has huge implications on the global economy. This economic implication of acting on climate change becomes more precarious when we take into consideration the fact that climate change is set to have its worst impacts on the generations to come. This leaves us with the question of whether to act now or leave it to the future generations to tackle the issue of climate change. Corporations and for that matter countries in itself would act only if they see some incentives in acting now, else one wouldn’t want to sacrifice their economic growth which transcribes into well being in the present. What drives international climate negotiations in formulating policies for climate change mitigation is something called as the social cost of carbon (SCC). SCC helps us in estimating the benefits (climate) of decision making. Social cost of carbon can be termed as the the economic damages associated with a small increase in carbon dioxide. This dollar figure also represents the value of damages avoided for a small emission reduction. Hence such an economic value is what drives nations to act on climate change. Higher the value of SCC, higher is the perceived threat from climate change, which in turn increases the urgency required to act on climate change. Higher values also indicate a negative impact of climate change on the future GDP projections of nation states, hence acting on climate change is incentivising nations by insuring their future GDP against the perils of climate change. But for arriving at a social cost of carbon we need to consider what is called an optimal ‘r ate of discount.’ Arriving at a rate of discount is based on what ethical stand one takes, hence this value might hugely vary from person to person. Aspects such as how much you value intergenerational equity, how much are you ready to sacrifice in the present, how do you expect technology to improve in the future and what do you expect to happen to economic growth in the future all come into play while arriving upon a discount rate. This paper would aim to look at the ethics of discounting taking into consideration the various values for discount rates proposed by economists and the implications that these values have on the policy measures we adopt. Existing literature in this area would be reviewed, shedding light on the various arguments/viewpoints centered around choosing different discount rates for climate change action. This process of reviewing literature in itself might be a limitation as the paper would rely on the arguments put forth by authors of respective papers for choosing a certain discount rate. This paper would initially discuss about the evolution of discounting and its relation to climate change and then move onto reviewing existing literature in this field and finally concluding the discussion by stating the author’s viewpoint. Literature Survey Discounting is a financial term that which means a debtor has obtained a right to delay the payment to a person who has lended the amount, a creditor, for a defined period of time by paying a certain fee. This discount is usually associated with something called a discount rate. In simple terms discount rate can be defined as the rate at which the amount owed must be raised to delay payment for one year. A discount rate is what what determines the discount rate and not vice versa. Discounting Factor is another term that is used in context to discounting. Discount factor is the percentage rate required to calculate the present value of future cash flow. What these values mean in terms of climate change and their implications on climate policy shall be discussed in the next few paragraphs. With the basics of discounting know lets move onto the role discounting has to play on climate change mitigation decisions. To figure this out let us look at some questions that economists seem to be in love with while determining the amount we should spend to fight climate change: How much will you be willing to spend to make your child richer by certain amount in the future? And what about the amount that you would be willing to spend to make your grandchild, or your great- great-great grandchild in the distant future richer by the same amount? The answers to these questions might shed light on the future of the planet. Most economic analyses of climate change have concluded that we should be spending only small amounts to combat climate change now, ramping up slowly over time. This conclusion is argued against by climate scientists who say that immediate action is the only way to arrest the serious ramifications of climate change. And the disagreement arises from the above mention ed questions, on how much do you value the future generations’ welfare in terms of a monetary value. The worst consequences of climate change, as mentioned earlier in the introduction, are likely to unfold only over decades or centuries. This means that the present generation is only set to see the beginning of what might be the worst consequences of climate change, with the future generations bearing the maximum brunt of it. Hence, the decision of how much to spend now to arrest climate change in the future weighs itself on assessing how much it is worth to us now to prevent that future damage. As driven by human tendency we would be prefer money now over money later, and hence economists typically figure that our willingness to pay for preventing a dollar worth of damage in a year, or in a decade is less than a dollar. This percentage less is called the â€Å"social discount rate.† What is of importance is figuring out what this discount rate should be. For a short period of time, the easier way is to consider the prevailing market rate of interest. This is similar to a loan that you have taken at a certain interest rate. After all, if you happen to get a bank loan at an interest rate of 7 percent, then getting a dollar in a year is essentially equivalent to getting a tad over 93 cents now. What this essentially implies is that, economically, it would make sense for you to spend 93 cents today if it helps you in avoiding a problem that would otherwise cost you one dollar a year from now. This can be put in other words: a dollar of the projected future impacts has gotten discounted to 93 cents today. But when this is played over many years the results are very peculiar. The following example is cited from an article published in Science News: â€Å"For example, at a 5 percent annual interest rate, a penny that belonged to Julius Caesar would have expanded to the bogglingly huge sum of 3 – 1041 dollars today — more than the entire world economic output over the last 2,000 years multiplied by the number of stars in the sky.† And what this essentially means is that discounting, at a 5 percent social discount rate, would shrink any imaginable catastrophe today to far less than a penny in Caesar’s time, and an economist would have therefore recommended that Caesar not spend even so tiny an amount to avoid it. The mind boggling amount this discounting would result in besides being absurd, would also silence the people wanting action on climate change because of the huge monetary implications. It is very difficult to overlook the effect any constant discount rate (like the 5 percent rate used in the above example) on the future growth potentials which is going to be exponential and explosive. So even considering a moderate social discount rate of say, 2 to 3 percent, economists will have a very hard time trying to justify the amount spent on combating climate change in the present. Instead, economists would suggest to invest this amount in savings and our future generations will be rich enough to live well inspite of all the damages from climate change. But an exception to this is Nicholas Stern. In 2006, he wrote the The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review which concluded by suggesting that we should invest one percent of world GDP immediately to combat climate change. Otherwise, he said, the chaos resulting from climate change could cost twenty percent of world GDP per year. But this was arrived at by setting the social discount rate to near zero. The discount rate he had taken into consideration while arriving at the conclusion was severely criticized by many economists. Underlying assumption is that people would prefer a dollar today than a dollar in the next year are a hundred years from now. Economists are still at loggerheads over this, on whether to: Either accept an assumption that is argued as economically unjustified (a close to zero social discount rate), or conclude that we should accept climate change without a fight. A third alternative which is more likely to remain unentertained is that the economic valuations fail to shed light on the issue at hand. Let us now look into the argument put forward by Stern in his â€Å"Economics of Climate Change† report for taking a near zero discount rate. This paper has already referred to the Stern Review in its earlier sections. The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change is probably the most comprehensive survey of the economics of climate change published until thus. The lead author of the review, Sir Nicholas Stern, from besides being a distinguished economist, he has also made important contributions to areas of public and welfare economic theory that are particularly relevant to climate change economics. His conclusion that we should act now by investing on acting against climate change as it would have more serious implications on the future generations in strongly contended by leading economists. Stern, in his review had said that we should invest one percent, which was revised to two percent in 2008, of the global gross domestic product for acting climate in order to curtail the ravaging impacts of climate change in the future which, otherwise, might lead to huge losses to the tune of 20 percent of global GDP every year in the future. After the first chapter’s brief summary of the scientific evidence for climate change, the next few chapters have devoted considerable attention to the ethical issues revolving around the choice of discount rate. â€Å"This represents the economist’s trade-off between the welfare of different generations and is hence the key to the way that different distributions of consumption over time can be ranked in terms of social welfare.† The Review states that â€Å"The ethical framework of standard welfare economics looks first only at the consequences of actions (an approach often described as ‘consequentialism’) and then assess consequences in terms of impacts on ‘utility’ (an approach often described as ‘welfarism’). The standard welfare economic approach has no room, for example, for ethical dimensions concerning the processes by which outcomes are reached. Some different notions of ethics, including those based on concepts of rights, justice and freedoms, do consider process† (p. 29). The Review also takes a consequentialist approach, which is in line with standard welfare economics, and makes judgements that are both explicit and implicit concerning the distribution of welfare and of consumption across generations. Discounting and the Stern Review It is now well now that in h (i.e. the avoidance of the damage that climate change might otherwise do under what is known as a ‘business as usual scenario’).

Training and Development Essay -- Persuasive, Continuous Training

Training and development has become increasingly essential to the success of modern organisations, yet some still look at training as a problem or as something that is not taken seriously. Training and development is one key approach used by organisations to improve and maintain the capabilities of its workforce. However, many experts distinguish between training and development, being that training tends to be more closely focused and adapted towards short-term performance concerns, while development tends to be adapted more towards expanding an individual’s skills for future responsibilities (Snell and Bohlander 2007). The main reason that organisations train their employees is to bring their knowledge, skills and abilities up to the level required for a suitable performance (Snell and Bohlander 2007). Nevertheless, despite the benefits that these organisations and employees gain from training, some are still not willing to capitalise on it. According to Molander (1989), during the early to mid-1990s, training was not generally seen as a crucial element in a company’s corporate strategy, except possibly for management training. However, recent evidence seems to show that formal training activities have risen in the last few years, with this increase being as a result of heightened competition, provision of new services or improvement of existing ones, changes in product design, and changes in manufacturing processes (Molander 1989). Investments in training and development are linked with a range of organisational and individual benefits, such as being a major determinant of economic growth and organisational performance (Santos and Stuart 2003). According to Pigors and Myers (1977), training is very essential to organisations... ...enced by the trainer’s characteristics and personal manner (Belcourt et al 1996). All these can be summed up in one sentence, â€Å"If the worker hasn’t learned, the instructor hasn’t taught† (Pigors and Myers 1977). In conclusion, although the need for training is now recognised, many companies are still reluctant to invest in this scheme, notwithstanding the fact that training and development is an essential procedure in building an effective work team that can improve organisational productivity. By investing in training, employees acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the likelihoods of their success within the organisation. If organisations are not to be constantly disappointed in their effort to implement new techniques and increase their performance, then they ought to not only provide training, but also ensure that it is the right training. Training and Development Essay -- Persuasive, Continuous Training Training and development has become increasingly essential to the success of modern organisations, yet some still look at training as a problem or as something that is not taken seriously. Training and development is one key approach used by organisations to improve and maintain the capabilities of its workforce. However, many experts distinguish between training and development, being that training tends to be more closely focused and adapted towards short-term performance concerns, while development tends to be adapted more towards expanding an individual’s skills for future responsibilities (Snell and Bohlander 2007). The main reason that organisations train their employees is to bring their knowledge, skills and abilities up to the level required for a suitable performance (Snell and Bohlander 2007). Nevertheless, despite the benefits that these organisations and employees gain from training, some are still not willing to capitalise on it. According to Molander (1989), during the early to mid-1990s, training was not generally seen as a crucial element in a company’s corporate strategy, except possibly for management training. However, recent evidence seems to show that formal training activities have risen in the last few years, with this increase being as a result of heightened competition, provision of new services or improvement of existing ones, changes in product design, and changes in manufacturing processes (Molander 1989). Investments in training and development are linked with a range of organisational and individual benefits, such as being a major determinant of economic growth and organisational performance (Santos and Stuart 2003). According to Pigors and Myers (1977), training is very essential to organisations... ...enced by the trainer’s characteristics and personal manner (Belcourt et al 1996). All these can be summed up in one sentence, â€Å"If the worker hasn’t learned, the instructor hasn’t taught† (Pigors and Myers 1977). In conclusion, although the need for training is now recognised, many companies are still reluctant to invest in this scheme, notwithstanding the fact that training and development is an essential procedure in building an effective work team that can improve organisational productivity. By investing in training, employees acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the likelihoods of their success within the organisation. If organisations are not to be constantly disappointed in their effort to implement new techniques and increase their performance, then they ought to not only provide training, but also ensure that it is the right training.

Police Use of Force Essay -- Black Lives Matter

The police forces in every community are deemed law enforcement officers and have to take necessary precautions in executing their job. Individuals that police officers encounter may at any time threaten the security of the officer or others. Police officers have to follow procedures that are necessary to maintain control of situations that can cause harm to others or property. The three topics that will be discussed in police use of force are; the explanation and background of use of force, limitations of use of force, and disputed court cases dealing with police use of force. Police use of force can be described as being the "amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject.†(nij.gov, p.1) The stages of force police use are simple verbal and physical restraint, less lethal force and lethal force. Police officers are encouraged to use only enough force necessary to control a situation, arrest the person, or protect themselves or others from harm (p.1). When a situation begins to spiral out of control for the police officers, the next level should be used in order to gain control. Once the situation is resolved, police officers should make sure the injured receive medical treatment and notify family of any injured individuals (p.1). Levels of force that officers use depend upon the unique situation. Guidelines for use of force can be based on factors, including: federal and state regulations, police department’s experience, law enforcement technology availability, and police and citizen relationship that may exist in a particular jurisdiction (p.1) The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has stated that "†¦in diffusing situations, apprehending alleged criminals, and in keeping everyone safe... ...if they are detailed to a special unit with minimal supervision, their style may be reinforced. They may perceive that the organization sanctions their behavior. This group would do better in peer counseling than individual counseling. It will then make them part of the solution, rather than part of the problem which may be central to changing their behavior. Works Cited Office Of Justice Programs (January 20, 2012) National Institute Of Justice (Police Use of Force http://www.nij.gov/nij/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/use-of-force/welcome.htm UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: COPS COMMUITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES (Use Of Force) http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=1374 Ellen M. Scrivner (October 1994) Controlling Police Use of Excessive Force: The Role of the Police Psychologist https://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/ppsyc.txt

Culture of Hybrid Stripped Bass in Cages

The hybrid striped bass (Morone crysops saxatilis) is a cross between the striped bass and the white bass. The two species were successfully hybridized for commercial farming in 1967 in California. The aqua culture of this fish can be conducted in either net pens or in open ponds. A drawback to open pond culture is that ponds must be designed specifically for aquaculture, and in most cases they are not. Usually ponds are designed with irrigation, watershed conservation, livestock watering, or recreational purposes in mind. These ponds usually cannot be adequately drained or they have natural structures on their bottoms, which make harvesting difficult. However, with cage culture many of these ponds can still be used for aquaculture. Cages or net pens are structures that enclose a number of fish in a confined area keeping them from ranging freely. This makes harvest extremely easy. The fish are dipped out of the cages or the cage itself is simply removed. Although the cage makes for a easier harvest the nature of the fish being in confined space calls for close management. Pond size is very important when considering cage culture for commercial purposes. Five acres is the recommended size for commercial culture (due to oxygen demand) although, smaller ponds can be used is mechanical aeration is used to offset the problem of oxygen depletion. Fish need oxygen to survive the oxygen they breathe is dissolved in the water. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water is inversely proportional to the water temperature. Warmer water means lower levels of oxygen saturation, which is where problems arise. As the water temperature increases so does the metabolism of the fish. This higher metabolism causes the fish! to consume more oxygen. If oxygen levels are low this stresses the fish, which in turn causes the fish to consume more oxygen and further reducing levels in the pond. So for a cage culture operation to be successful a high lever of oxygen saturation must be maintained. This can be done in two ways using a small number of fish on a large pond, or enhancing the ponds oxygen levels by mechanical means. The latter is what works best in intensive commercial situations. Mechanical methods such as paddlewheels, airlift pumps, or diffusers are artificial means of introducing oxygen into a pond. They simply expose more water surface to the atmosphere allowing a greater rate of oxygen transfer. Oxygen is one of the major limiting factors in determining how many pounds of fish can be produced in a given body of water. That is why in serious commercial cage culture a good oxygen meter is a valued piece of equipment. Keeping oxygen in mind, cages can be placed any where in the pond so long as there is enough open water around and under the cage to allow water to circulate. Cages should not be set side by side so water movement is not restricted. The ideal situation is to have two cage lengths between cages. A minimum of two feet should be maintained between the bottom of the cage and the pond bottom to ensure an adequate buffer zone between the caged fish and the pond bottom, where organic waste is broken down by bacteria causing low levels of oxygen. For greatest ease in feeding and harvesting it is suggested the cages be placed along a floating dock. Pond depth is another factor in cage culture. The pond should be at least six to seven feet deep but no deeper than fifteen feet. Deeper ponds should be avoided due to water stratification. The cool water at the bottom will establish a density gradient so that normal wind action will only circulate the upper level of warm water. In deali! ng with water temperature hybrid stripped bass require water in the range of 72 to 78oF for optimal growth. With hybrid stripped bass it takes sixteen to twenty-four months to reach market size. The first year is devoted to fingerling production and the second to market grow out. With hybrid striped bass there are two options with respect to size when stocking. You can stock phase I fingerlings or phase II yearlings. The phase I fish are 2 to 3 inches long and about two months old. There are several advantages to stocking phase I fish. They are cheaper and there fore can be stocked in high densities. Once they reach the age the excess phase II fish can be sold off keeping the grow out density near the ponds carrying capacity. The disadvantages of phase I fish are the use of small mesh cages restricting water flow, higher mortalities, and the need to train them to take feed. Phase II fish are 6 to 8 inches long and weigh about 1/3 of a pound. These fish are healthy accept feed and are unlikely to experience significant mortalities if oxygen levels are maintained. The draw back to th! ese fish is that they are expensive. In an intensive commercial situation phase I fish prove to be the most profitable. The caged hybrid stripped bass are completely dependent on the farmer for food due to them being confined in cages. There fore they must be feed daily with a high quality diet. The caged fish should be fed y hand to best manage them. Feeding by hand gives instant feedback on the health of the fish. Fish should be fed twice a day once in the morning and once in the evening. Do not feed the fish after dark for this is when oxygen levels are at their lowest. Be consistent in your feeding patterns for seclude changes can disrupt the behavior patterns of the fish. The feed should be of good quality the protein amount and food size depend on the fish size. The smaller the fish the smaller the feed and the higher protein content needed. There is not a complete diet food for hybrid striped bass instead you must use trout and salmon diets. Due to this the feed rate stays between 2 to 3 percent body weight per day for  ¼ pound fish decreasing as the fish reaches harvest size. Fish less ! than  ¼ pound are feed 5 percent body weight per day. For Hybrid striped bass the food conversion efficiency ranges from 1.8 to2.5:1. Hybrid stripped bass are fast attracting consumer interest in seafood markets around the country. The inland culture of Hybrid stripped bass is best undertaken in cages or net pens since it enables the use of most farm ponds with were previously thought useless foe aquaculture purposes. The cages enable the farmer to keep tight control over his fish and allow for easy feeding and harvest. With this type of culture market size fish  ¾ pound to 2 pound and up fish can be achieved by the end of the second year.